It definitely falls to the failure of the farm system, especially for position players. Alderson has concentrated on pitchers and has not been going after position players who could make a difference. Conforto and Nimmo are fine ballplayers, but they haven't had the impact that some of the young players on the Yankees have. Rosario is still not ready, and Dom Smith seems to be a flop, especially if Alonso comes along, giving him no place to play. The sell-off last year brought back nothing but middle relievers. Because the team insisted the other team take all the salary, they weren't even top prospects. Alderson should have been looking for position players. This year's free agent signings have been disastrous, but that was due to injuries. No one thought any of the signings were bad ones at the time. Even Gonzalez was considered a smart decision. There's a difference between a move not working out and a move being bad; the decisions were made based upon the best information known at the time. You don't have a crystal ball.* The fact that the farm system hasn't been producing is the bigger issue, and that's all Alderson. *One reason I don't think the Ryan for Fregosi trade was a terrible decision. If you were to ask anyone at the time who had a shot in the Hall of Fame, everyone -- GMs, sportswriters, fans, and even Sabermetricians (if they existed) -- would say it would be Fregosi. But Ryan learned how to use his talent, and Fregosi was hobbled by injuries.